Chapter 25
Recovering from Embarrassing Situations
Now that you've identified the biggest fears that zap your confidence, I need to tell you that sometimes embarrassing moments do happen and things can go wrong.
As you interact with more and more people, unavoidable embarrassing moments are bound to happen. This fact shouldn't shake your confidence or keep you from getting out there and making things happen. These are the very moments that can be turned into opportunities. Trust me, as a klutz and a speak-before-she-thinks type of person, I've had more than my share of embarrassing moments.
How you react and recover in these times of tribulation will affect how others perceive you.
For example, if a waiter spills food all over your suit, you have two options. You can accept it, wipe yourself clean, and make some refreshingly comical remark to make the waiter feel comfortable. Or you can freak out, give the waiter a blast, call the manager over to the table, demand dry-cleaning money, and stomp out of the restaurant as if you are the only person who has ever had food spilled on a suit.
I've witnessed both extremes. The first option makes you a much more likeable person. Clothes will come clean—your reputation as someone who overreacts while making others squirm may not.
After I had volunteered for a political party, an associate suggested I run for the party's provincial executive. I was still getting my feet wet in these circles. I knew it could be a rewarding experience because ...
